primary school teachers the twists and turns of ... - ERU Consultants

Version 20 Oct 08, edited final- The teacher to report in a monthly peer group meeting (SKP, Sandhan and SKP-Board) on what she has taught, the problems she faced and what support sheneeded;- Anyone who went to the school (even an inspector) had to ‘give’ something—activity/lesson etc.; and- The training process would weave together experiential, emotional andconceptual aspects of teaching.The lifeline of SKP was the selection, education and training of the SK. The first stepwas to identify remote and backward villages where primary schools were notfunctioning. The next step was to inform the concerned Panchayat Samiti about theSKP. After the members and other elders were fully convinced of the importance ofeducation for their children, a meeting was called of all educated young peoplebetween 18 and 33 years of age in those villages. A minimum level of 8th standardwas fixed for men and 5th standard for women. Interviews were held informally tobegin with. Later all candidates had to take tests in writing and oral skills in Hindi,handwriting, knowledge of numbers and the basic processes, cleanliness, hygieneand the environment were also tested.Of the other criteria for selection of SKs, the following were important:- A positive attitude towards children;- Excitement about a new chance to learn and to be a teacher; and- High energy levels.The most significant contribution of SKP was the training process. The initial trainingmodule lasted up to 50 days, supplemented by recurrent and advanced trainingprogrammes for 10 days every winter and 20-30 days every summer. In addition, theprogramme organised remedial training camps for weaker Shiksha Karmis. This wasas important as the formal interactions and extension of support through ShikshaSahayogis. The trainers were drawn from the existing pool of teachers, outsidespecialists from NGOs and DIETs and also senior Shiksha Karmis. To meet the goalof one male and one female SK in every SK school (the proportion of female ShikshaKarmis is currently around 12 per cent), the programme also set up MahilaPrashikshan Kendras (13) which trained 349 women as Shiksha Karmis. In additionthe programme also trained members of VECs, both to help with school mappingexercises and to oversee the effective functioning of the SK schools, primarily inassociation with the Lok Jumbish project.Shiksha KarmiMaster TrainersTable 3.2: Training cycle in Shiksha Karmi Project37 days Induction Training (earlier 37 days or 50 daysdepending on the model being used—Sandhan or Sankalp)30 days First Training30 days Second Training20 days training after two years20 days training after two years20 day Refresher Course in year five, six, seven and eight2 days monthly review, planning and difficulty removalmeetingsAfter eight years, a SK becomes a Senior SK and can alsobecome a Master TrainerIn addition to the above—SKs selected as Master Trainersundergo 26 days of MT Training35